The present invention relates to a liquid atomizer, and more particularly to a liquid fuel atomizer for combustors.
For efficient combustion, a liquid fuel flow usually is atomized into fine droplets which burn quickly and completely in the airflow of a combustor. The atomization is accomplished by raising the liquid fuel flow to a high pressure which is then used to develop a liquid fuel flow of high swirl velocity and shearing energy. In prior art atomizers, a rapidly swirling flow is usually developed by passing the high pressure liquid feed flow tangentially and radially inwards through bores in a cylinder wall. The bores lead to a central chamber, in which the rapidly swirling flow is created. The rapidly swirling flow, upon ejection into the combustor, breaks up into a spray of fine droplets which burn readily.
Often the allowable size of the atomizer, and particularly the atomizer diameter, is limited due to physical constraints of the combustor or other apparatus in which the atomizer is used. In such cases, the atomization task is more difficult, particularly where high fuel flow capacity is needed. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a more compact atomizer for use in a combustor or the like. Such a compact atomizer should be capable of atomizing high fuel flows and using lower liquid fuel supply pressures. The present invention provides a compact atomizer having the aforementioned and other advantages.